


Everybody Here Was Someone Else Before

by lco123



Series: Pretty Little Liars/The Bold Type Crossover-verse [1]
Category: Pretty Little Liars, The Bold Type
Genre: Crossover, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:25:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lco123/pseuds/lco123
Summary: Jacqueline starts conducting interviews for Scarlet’s new social media director on Monday, and by Wednesday the position is filled.





	Everybody Here Was Someone Else Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [speakpirate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakpirate/gifts).



> Takes place post 1x10 of The Bold Type, and as for PLL, let's say it goes AU sometime after 7x15.

Kat FaceTimes them to say she isn’t coming back.

“I’m going to let Jacqueline know, right after I get off the phone with you guys,” she tells Sutton and Jane. “And then…”

“Then what?” Sutton prompts. Jane squeezes her hand, like she’s already reached the punchline of Kat’s joke. But Sutton doesn’t see anything funny about this situation.

Jacqueline starts conducting interviews for _Scarlet_ ’s new social media director on Monday, and by Wednesday the position is filled. 

“It’s impossible that they found someone as good as Kat,” Sutton says to Jane during their lunch break phone call. It’s not exactly the fashion closet, but it’s something. Sutton is starting to learn the names of Jane’s new coworkers, and Jane has been eager to keep up with the gossip at _Scarlet_.

“Of course this new person won’t be Kat,” Jane replies. “But, I don’t know. Two days is impressive. You know how thorough Jacqueline is.”

“So?”

“So, I’m thinking that whoever she found is probably pretty special. What’s the name again?”

Sutton frowns down at her iPad, scanning the email that went out this morning welcoming the new social media director to the _Scarlet_ team.

“Mona Vanderwaal.”

\--

It’s not that Sutton is avoiding meeting Mona Vanderwaal. And it’s not like she doesn’t know who Mona is; the new girl is hard to miss, with her shiny hair and tall shoes and dresses that look an awful lot like the ones designed by this up-and-comer Sutton’s been following on Instagram, Hanna Marin.

But Sutton hasn’t exactly made an effort to introduce herself. It was one thing when Kevin—cute, stylish, and gay—took over Jane’s desk after her move to _Incite_. Sutton wasn’t crazy about the change, but she adapted. That desk hadn’t been Jane’s for all that long anyway, and besides, Sutton still gets to see her everyday.

But Kat practically invented the position of social media director. She was great at it right off the bat, as far as Sutton was concerned. The idea of someone coming in and trying to fill her very big shoes just doesn’t sit well with Sutton.

Even someone wearing the 2016 Manolos that Mona seems to favor.

If Sutton doesn't interact with Mona, then she doesn’t have to face the fact that Mona isn’t Kat, and that Kat is far away in Peru.

Of course, avoidance is never a long-term solution. Sutton is in the elevator, on her way to a coffee run for Oliver, when a perfectly-manicured hand grabs hold of one of the doors before it can close. In strides Mona Vanderwaal, wearing an annoyingly cute red and black minidress and a smile.

“Hi,” Mona says. “You’re Sutton, right?”

Sutton nods curtly. “Yeah. And you’re the new Kat.”

Mona snorts. “I prefer to think of Kat as the old Mona.” When Sutton doesn’t say anything to that, she adds, “You guys were friends?”

“How did you know that?”

“I did my research on Kat. Always a good idea when you’re filling a position.” There’s an odd quality to Mona, like she’s telling Sutton only shadings of the truth, just the bits and pieces that are convenient for Sutton to know, but not the entire story. It’s in such sharp contrast to Kat’s unfailing honestly that it makes Sutton’s heart hurt a little.

When the elevator doors open, Sutton doesn’t bother saying goodbye.

\--

Within a week Mona has made some major changes to the social media department. She starts by revamping Kat’s old team: firing Callie and Ben, switching Gina to a different position within the department, and putting in requests for three new employees with “four or more years of experience.”

Sutton doesn’t find this out from Mona herself, of course. She hears through the gossip mill at _Scarlet_ , though the stories are confirmed when she sees poor Callie sobbing in the hallway while clutching a cardboard box.

“Can’t you come back?” Sutton begs Kat over FaceTime that night.

Kat shakes her head. She’s trying to look somber, for Sutton’s sake, but Sutton sees right through it. Kat has been all smiles since taking the leap to go be with Adena. She’s told Sutton and Jane more than once that she thinks it was the best decision of her life.

“I think you need to give her a chance,” Kat suggests.

“She fired Ben and Callie!”

“Which I had been putting off doing for weeks,” Kat points out. “Honestly, it sounds like Mona has a lot more experience managing people than I did. Taking on the team like that right out of the gate? That’s a boss bitch move.”

“Or a bitch boss move,” Sutton grumbles. “I thought you’d be more upset.”

Kat shrugs. “That social media position was my baby. But there’s nothing I can do about it now, and clearly Mona cares. That’s what matters.”

Sutton scowls, even though she knows Kat is making good points. “Are you taking meditation classes out there, or something? You seem awfully zen.”

“No, but I _am_ being creative. Adena and I are taking a pottery class. I made a vase!”

Sutton raises an eyebrow. “ _You_ made a vase?”

“I sure did!” Kat says proudly. “Okay, so it was kind of lumpy and droopy, but Adena was able to put flowers in it so it still counts.” She leans closer to the screen. “Also, side-note: I can now confirm that sexy pottery is totally not a thing. Adena and I gave it our best shot.”

“You mean _Ghost_ lied to us? Damn you, Patrick Swayze.”

“I know! And all this time I thought that movie was a documentary.”

Sutton hears the door behind Kat opening, and then Kat is grinning as Adena murmurs a greeting just off screen.

“I should let you go,” Sutton realizes.

Kat nods. “We’ll talk again soon, though, okay? And remember: give Mona a chance. It sounds like she does the job well.”

“She does the job differently, that’s for sure.”

Kat bites her lip as she looks over in the direction of Adena. “Babe, take it from me. Sometimes different can be exactly what you need.”

\--

“You haven’t talked about Richard in a while,” Jane observes one Friday evening. It’s been a hellish week for them both—Oliver has been in a particularly foul mood, and Jane is working on an emotionally grueling piece about sex trafficking—so they’re spending the night in with popcorn, wine and a couple of dumb slasher movies.

“There’s not much to talk about,” Sutton replies. “Or anything, really.”

“I thought you were talking about trying to make it work.”

“He talked. I listened. And yeah, we made out in the elevator a couple of times after that, but…” Sutton takes a long, steady sip of her wine. “It’s just not right, no matter how hard we try to pretend that it is.”

Jane pats her hand. “I’m sorry. I know how much he meant to you.”

“Thanks,” Sutton says. “But I think it might finally be time to move on.”

\--

It’s a rather slow Tuesday when the tweet goes out, which is why Sutton sees it while she’s still at work. An article linked from the _Scarlet_ Twitter account: _Fifteen Wallet-Friendly Looks Inspired by Runway Trends, curated by the_ Scarlet _social media team. With special thanks to Oliver Grayson and Sutton Brady_.

She scans through the article to see bits and pieces of her own list from Fashion Week, re-edited just enough to feel somewhat unfamiliar. It’s like looking in a funhouse mirror.

Sutton marches across the hall to Mona’s new office—and yes, she has an office now, she couldn’t be satisfied with just a desk like Kat. 

“What the hell is this?” Sutton demands.

Mona looks up at her with a frown, lifting her fingers from her laptop keyboard but still keeping them in position to type, like she’s certain this won’t take long. “Excuse me?”

Sutton wishes she had a piece of paper to furiously scrunch, but she just has her phone, so she holds it up in front of Mona to show her the article. “ _Special thanks_? That article was my concept, and Oliver loved it!”

Mona sighs. “Budget-friendly couture is hardly anything radical, and only ten items were included in your initial article.”

“Yeah, _my_ initial article, which _you_ completely plagiarized!”

Mona spins her chair just enough so that she can cross her legs. “Sutton, I apologize if you feel my department crossed a line. But we all work for the same publication. Exchange of ideas is part of the game. And we _did_ offer you credit. Besides, if anything it’s a compliment. I enjoyed your piece so much that I wanted to expand on it.”

Sutton points a finger at her. “So you admit that your article was inspired by what I wrote!”

“This is starting to feel an awful lot like an interrogation. Should I have a lawyer present?”

Sutton scoffs. Mona isn’t taking her seriously at all. And it’s _infuriating_. “You know what?” she says. “If you had just come to me, I would have helped you work on a new list. We could have done it together. But I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. I was going to give you a chance, but that is officially out the window.” 

“Sutton—”

“Save it.” Sutton starts to walk out of the office but turns back around before she reaches the door. “By the way, you were right. You’re not the new Kat, because Kat would never do something so underhanded.”

\--

“Do you think I went overboard?” Sutton asks Jane that night. “I mean, I'm still totally mad, don’t get me wrong. But I was also way harsh, Tai.”

Jane hands Sutton a plate stacked high with what are supposed to be enchiladas but mostly just look like flour tortillas smothered in sauce. _Incite_ is asking each writer to try out a new skill for a month and write about it, and—to Sutton’s detriment—Jane has chosen cooking.

“Maybe,” Jane replies. “I’ve never known you to get so worked up about getting credit.”

“It’s not just the credit,” Sutton says, flopping down on the couch in a way that won’t jostle the sauce. “It’s _her_. She’s just—she’s not what I’m used to.”

Jane lifts an eyebrow but merely takes a bite of her food.

“What?” Sutton prompts. Jane shakes her head as she keeps chewing, so Sutton repeats, “ _What?_ ”

Jane swallows slowly being speaking. “It’s just—do you know how much you’ve talked about Mona since she started working at _Scarlet_?”

“What are you getting at?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Jane replies. “But if Kat were here, I’m sure she’d have some ideas.”

Sutton doesn’t even want to think about what that might mean, so she digs into her food, and Jane follows suit. They eat in silence for a few minutes until there’s a knock at the door.

Jane shoots Sutton a puzzled look. “Were you expecting someone?”

Sutton shakes her head. “No, and we didn’t buzz anyone in either. Okay, you know the drill. I’ll get the bat, you get the door.”

Jane nods as they spring up off the couch, Sutton retrieving their emergency baseball bat from underneath the couch and Jane creeping toward the door.

“Who is it?” she calls.

“Mona Vanderwaal,” a voice replies. “May I come in?”

Jane’s eyes grow wide. _What is she doing here?_ she mouths to Sutton.

 _I have no idea_ , Sutton mouths back, motioning for Jane to open the door as she surreptitiously slides the bat back under the couch.

“You must be Jane,” Mona says as the door opens.

Jane nods, then steps back so that Sutton can move into the doorway. Mona is wearing a gorgeous burgundy coat over her dress from earlier, and she’s carrying a gigantic black box.

“What are you doing here?” Sutton asks.

“I wanted to speak with you,” Mona replies.

“How do you know where we live?” Jane asks. “Or my name, for that matter?”

“You haven’t been gone that long,” Mona says. “People at _Scarlet_ still talk about the famous Jane Sloan. And as for your address, well.” She shrugs. “I have my methods. Are we going to continue this conversation in your hallway, or may I come in?”

Jane looks at Sutton questioningly and Sutton relents, stepping to the side so that Mona can enter the apartment. She regards their living room with a small smile. “Cute.”

“I’m just gonna…” Jane trails off, jerking a finger toward her room. “Holler if you need me,” she directs to Sutton.

“We can sit on the couch,” Sutton says. Mona follows her lead, carefully setting the box down on the floor beside her.

Sutton clears her throat. “So. You wanted to talk?”

“Yes,” Mona says. “I wanted to offer you a more sincere apology. I truly am sorry about the article.”

“That’s it?”

Mona blinks a couple of times. “I sometimes struggle with…reaching out. Making friends.” Her fists clench together in her lap. “I've been told that I have trust issues.”

Sutton sighs. “Look, Mona, _Scarlet_ is a team. We’re not trying to tear each other down or throw each other under the bus.”

“I understand,” Mona says softly. “Being on a team has never been my biggest strength.”

“No one’s out to get you, here.”

Mona nods. She looks like she might be getting emotional, so Sutton motions toward the box, hoping to break some of the tension. “What in there?” she asks.

“Right!” Mona grabs the box off the floor and hands it to Sutton with a flourish. “Let’s call it a peace offering.”

Sutton raises an eyebrow but lifts the lid off the box without another word. She peels back layers of pale pink tissue paper to reveal a truly stunning multicolored fringed jacket.

“Oh my god,” she gasps.

“I guessed on the size,” Mona tells her. “Try it on.”

Sutton touches the jacket with reverence. She has no idea how much it cost, but guesses it would retail at well-over four hundred dollars. Slowly, she pulls the jacket over her arms. It fits her perfectly and feels wonderful.

“Where did you get this?” Sutton asks. Mona doesn’t say anything so Sutton pulls the jacket off to check the label. “This is a Hanna Marin original! I love her! I follow her on Instagram!”

“Up until about a month ago, I _ran_ that Instagram,” Mona says. “Hanna and I grew up together.”

“You _did?_ ”

“I helped build her brand. She had the raw talent, but she needed help getting herself out there. That’s part of the reason why Jacqueline hired me.”

Sutton leans back against the couch, shaking her head in disbelief. “You are just full of surprises.”

Mona chuckles. “You have no idea.”

Sutton squeezes her hand. “Thank you.”

“The jacket looks lovely on you.”

Sutton smiles. “Not just for the jacket, though I absolutely adore it. But I appreciate you coming over and saying what you said.”

Mona looks like she wants to say more, but then Jane’s door swings open. “Sorry,” Jane murmurs, stepping into the living room. “I was just going to mention that there’s plenty of food, if Mona would like to stay for dinner?”

Mona seems to consider that for a second before shaking her head. “No, I should get going. I hope you two have a wonderful night. Good to meet you, Jane.”

“You too,” Jane replies.

Mona gathers her things. “Take care of that jacket,” she tells Sutton. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

And then she’s gone, out the door so quickly that it’s almost like she wasn’t there at all.

“She’s nothing like I expected,” Jane comments.

Sutton looks at the spot on the couch where Mona was sitting just moments ago.

“Yeah,” she mutters. “I know exactly what you mean.”

\--

Sutton isn’t planning on spending hours googling Mona. She’s just planning to do one search to read a little bit about her history, maybe find out more about her connection with Hanna Marin.

But that one search turns up way more than expected, and before Sutton knows it she’s spent most of the evening reading about Mona. Her story is shocking, like something out of a television show. The woman has lived a thousand different lives.

Sutton doesn’t sleep much, and when she does she dreams about the things she’s read. Mona in an institution. Mona being kidnapped. Mona nearly being killed, more than once. It’s terrible.

By the morning her head is still spinning. She drags herself to work a little early and picks up two coffees, then stops by Mona’s office before Oliver gets in.

Mona’s eyes light up when she sees Sutton, but she eyes the coffee suspiciously.

“We did the whole peace offering thing yesterday,” she remarks, taking the coffee anyway.

Sutton tries to keep her face neutral. “I just thought you might want one.”

“Thank you.” Mona takes a sip, still studying Sutton’s face. “What’s with the look?”

Sutton shakes her head. “What look? There’s no look.”

“Well, there _is_ coffee,” Mona points out, raising an eyebrow. “And that’s unusual. And you’re looking at me like—” She purses her lips. “You googled me, didn’t you?”

“No!” Sutton exclaims before withering under Mona’s stare. “Yes. I’m sorry. It’s just, you’re all mysterious and you know Hanna Marin and, well, frankly, we’re millennials. Googling people is in our DNA.”

“Sutton. It’s okay,” Mona says. She pats Sutton’s hand reassuringly. “You have questions, I presume?”

“Only about a million,” Sutton admits. “But I don’t have to ask them.”

“You can ask. I can’t promise I’ll answer.”

“Okay. Well.” Sutton bites her lip, trying to decide where to start. “Were you really held in an underground bunker?”

Mona takes a small step back. “Going right for the heart of it, I see.”

“Forget it. I’m sorry.” 

“Yes,” Mona says softly. “I was. But really, you don’t know the half of it.” She shrugs. “Or maybe you do.”

It sounds like an invitation for Sutton to share what she’s learned, so she quietly adds, “I read about the asylum.”

Mona’s face tightens. “Yeah. Not exactly my finest hour. I’m sure it seems very dramatic and interesting—”

“My mom was in a place like that,” Sutton interjects. “Just for a little while, after my dad left. It was awful. Not dramatic or interesting at all. Just sad. I’m not saying I understand, but…”

Mona seems to shrink into herself a bit. “Does this…”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

Sutton touches Mona shoulder. “Hey. I asked you a question. You can ask me one.”

“I was going to ask if this changes your opinion of me,” Mona says in a small voice.

“It does,” Sutton replies. “But not in a bad way.”

“Really?”

“Really,” Sutton confirms. “You’ve overcome a lot to get here. I respect that.”

There are tears in Mona’s eyes when she looks up at Sutton. “I may have underestimated you.”

Sutton nods. “That makes two of us.”

\--

Jacqueline isn’t happy. Print sales have been steadily declining, and she’s pinning a lot on the upcoming February issue. She calls an all-department meeting to discuss the cover.

“We need something innovative,” she tells them. “Something that’s never been done before. We’ve secured Selena Gomez, but we need a good concept.”

Sutton listens carefully. She knows that her presence here is more or less a formality—it’s not like Jacqueline is going to take cover advice from the newest addition to the fashion department—but she’s happy to be here, nonetheless.

“I have a pitch for the cover,” comes a voice from the back of the room. Sutton follows the sound, not terribly surprised to see it coming from Mona.

“Mona, typically our social media department isn’t involved in the print edition,” Jacqueline says dismissively. “Much less the cover. I invited your team here to discuss social media promotion of this issue.”

“I understand,” Mona replies, stepping forward toward the front of the room. “But I think I have a good way to tie social media and print together.”

Jacqueline throws a hand up. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

Mona situates herself so that she’s presenting to the room. “So the theme for February is what makes women feel sexy, right? My pitch is we ask readers to tweet us pictures of themselves in the garment that makes them feel sexy. All appropriate images, of course. And then we print the pictures out like old-school polaroids, and structure them into a dress for Selena to wear.”

“I fail to see how this is going to be marketable,” Jacqueline remarks.

Mona turns to face her. “The reason that our social media platforms are successful is because they’re accessible. People feel like they have a voice and can interact with the magazine. Print sales are down because women don’t feel represented. When they look at a picture of a designer dress, it doesn’t mean anything to them. If they could literally see a picture of themselves in their favorite outfit, they would feel empowered and excited by the magazine.”

“That’s an interesting concept, but it sounds like a lot of extra work for our fashion department. Between sorting through the photos, and actually constructing a garment...”

“Not to mention time-consuming,” Oliver pipes in. “Working with polaroids is no easy task, and our department is already swamped with all of the interior shoots.”

“I’ll do it!” Sutton announces.

Oliver raises an eyebrow at her. “Sutton, my dear, you have plenty of other work to attend to.”

“I know,” Sutton replies. “And I’ll make sure that all of that work comes first—”

“No, you won’t,” Jacqueline cuts in. “This takes priority. Sutton, if you feel confident about your abilities here, I trust you and Mona to spearhead this project.”

“Are you serious?” Sutton breathes.

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Jacqueline says flatly. "Of course, we’ll have to reach out to Selena’s people to see if she’d even be into this. And the entire concept is predicated on you getting a lot of responses on Twitter. Mona, I'd like you to send out an invitation for women to send in pictures. Don’t advertise that they might end up in the magazine; if the idea fails, they’ll just be disappointed.”

“It’s not going to fail,” Mona promises.

“Well, you’re certainly very confident. Oliver, I think your team can work on the interior shots without Sutton for a few weeks, right?” Jacqueline asks.

Oliver sighs but nods, then looks over at Sutton.

 _Make me proud_ , he mouths.

 _I will_ , she mouths back.

\--

Mona’s campaign turns out to be hugely successful. So successful that within a week,  _Scarlet_ ’s Twitter account has double the amount of photos that they need. And since Selena Gomez’s team loves the idea, the project is a go.

With Oliver’s assistance, Sutton sketches out a rough design for the dress. Then it comes time for her and Mona to pick which photos to use.

“This is tough,” Sutton murmurs, studying the desktop screen. “How do you tell someone their picture didn’t make the cut?”

“The key is variety,” Mona replies. “We want all different types of women represented.” 

They’ve been at this for a few hours, and most _Scarlet_ employees have gone home for the day. Mona is still wearing her impeccably-fitted black jumpsuit but has kicked off her heels, and as Sutton’s attention drifts from the screen it occurs to her just how tiny Mona is. Her presence is so commanding that it makes her seem bigger, but she’s actually quite small. It’s kind of cute.

“Want me to come take a look?” Mona offers.

“Please,” Sutton says. She intends to vacate the chair so Mona can take a seat, but Mona just comes up behind her, fitting her body in the space between the desk and the chair. She leans down toward the screen, close enough that her hair tickles Sutton’s cheek. The feel of it makes Sutton’s skin tingle.

“Sorry,” Mona whispers, pulling her hair over the opposite shoulder. When she does so her neck is exposed, and Sutton finds herself staring not at the screen in front of her but at Mona’s jawline and collarbones.

“What?” Mona asks, glancing down at her self-consciously. Her face is right there, hovering over Sutton’s, and suddenly it feels like all of the air has been sucked out of the room.

Sutton snaps her gaze back to the pictures on the screen. “Nothing,” she replies, clearing her throat. “What do you think?”

Mona points at a few photos. “These are good.” She points at some others. “These, not so much. I think we can finish this part tonight, then print and sort them tomorrow.”

Sutton nods, even though she’s not really tracking Mona’s words. She’s oddly distracted, and the feeling continues throughout the evening. She manages to shake it off by the morning, though, and is prepared to be nice and professional with Mona, who starts the day by handing Sutton her exact coffee order.

“I pay attention,” she says casually when Sutton asks how she knew.

They work all day again, and Sutton is surprised by how harmonious the collaboration is. Mona is thoughtful and organized, so detail-oriented that she keeps Sutton on her toes. She offers to order them dinner, which Sutton gratefully accepts.

“So,” Mona says around a mouthful of Greek salad. “I’m guessing you want to move into design at some point?”

Sutton nods. “What gave that away?”

“Well, you’re good at it, for one thing. And the way you sketch, the focus you have—you love it, I can tell. It reminds me of Hanna.”

Sutton uncrosses her legs and shakes them out. She and Mona are sitting on the floor in the small scraps of space left in Mona’s office. There are polaroids covering the desk, chairs and most of the floor, sorted into piles based on how the lighting will pick them up at the cover shoot. 

“What’s she like?” Sutton asks.

“Hanna?”

“Yeah.”

Mona sets her fork down and dabs a paper napkin across her lips. “She’s very creative, and very intelligent.”

“And you guys are close?”

Mona tilts her head to one side, looking a bit wistful. “We have been, at one time or another. But…life gets in the way, I suppose.”

Sutton doesn’t entirely know what that means, other than that this conversation is probably over.

“We should get back to work,” she realizes.

“We should.” Mona stands, extending a hand to help Sutton up. 

Neither one of them let go right away.

\--

Sutton expects Oliver to run the cover photoshoot, but on the big day he merely shakes his head and waves Sutton to the front of the room. “This is your design, my dear. Your vision.”

“Mona’s vision, really,” she corrects.

Oliver nods. “Right. Which is why you’re running the shoot together.”

It’s kind of like everything clicks into place. Suddenly Sutton knows exactly what to do and how to do it, and Mona is right there beside her, giving and taking, pushing and pulling. The dress looks amazing and photographs beautifully, and the simple background seems to compliment it well. The afternoon is a challenge, but a fun one, and then the cameramen are packing their bags as Selena Gomez retires to her dressing room. Mona rushes off to give Selena their thanks while Sutton starts cleaning up.

The familiar click of heels echoes behind her. “You two did a phenomenal job,” Jacqueline says.

Sutton turns around to face her. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Well, it’s the truth. You and Mona make a good team.”

“Thanks.”

“Partnerships like that are hard to come by, and they’re hugely valuable in this industry,” Jacqueline states. “And in life, for that matter.”

Sutton nods. She can feel herself starting to flush, and she isn’t even sure why. If Jacqueline gave her and Jane or Kat the same compliment, she would take it with pride and rush off to share it. But with Mona, it feels different.

With Mona, everything feels different.

\--

**iMessage**

**To: Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**11:42 PM EST**

_um, so it turns out I might like girls too. or maybe just one girl. can we talk?_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:45 PM EST**

_!!!!_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:46 PM EST**

_omg, babe, of course. I'm here for u_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:47 PM EST**

_Is it mona?_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**11:50 PM EST**

_…Yeah_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:50 PM EST**

_Ok. Everything's gonna be fine_  
****

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:51 PM EST**

_Adena wants me to tell u that she’s here for u too_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady**

**From: Kat Edison**

**11:51 PM EST**

_I love you, btw_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**11:52 PM EST**

_I love you too. Pls tell Adena thx._

 

**iMessage**

**To: Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**11:53 PM EST**

_So, what happens now?_

\--

The February issue of _Scarlet_ sells better than any issue has in eight months. So well, in fact, that Sutton earns a ten-percent raise. She rushes down to the coffee cart after hearing the news, only to find Mona already there, two coffees in hand.

“I was about to come find you,” she says when she sees Sutton. “I just had a meeting with Jacqueline.”

“And?” Sutton prompts.

Mona grins. “She wants me present at all future cover pitch meetings. She says that I know what makes the magazine tick.” She rolls her eyes, though is clearly pleased. “Her words, not mine.”

Sutton yelps in excitement. “That’s so awesome! And Oliver just gave me a raise!”

“Congratulations!” Mona exclaims, handing her a coffee.

"I could never have done this without you," Sutton says softly.

"Me neither." Mona raises her paper cup up. “I propose a toast.”

“To being a boss bitch,” Sutton declares.

“To finding a partner,” Mona adds. Her eyes widen. “I didn’t mean—”

“To finding a partner,” Sutton repeats. She takes a deep breath and holds out her hand. “Maybe not just at work.”

Mona looks at her questioningly, then slowly starts to smile as she takes Sutton’s hand. “To second chances.”

Sutton sets her coffee down on the counter, and Mona does the same. And then right there in the lobby of Steinem, Sutton kisses Mona Vanderwaal, and it doesn’t feel different or confusing or mysterious in any way.

All it feels is exactly, fantastically right.

\--

**iMessage**

**To: Jane Sloan and Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**10:17 AM EST**

_so, uh, I just kissed Mona_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady and Kat Edison**

**From Jane Sloan**

**10:18 AM EST**

_OMG! I’m so proud of you!!! That’s awesome. Also, finally. ;)_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady and Jane Sloan**

**From: Kat Edison**

**10:20 AM EST**

_that is so awesome! I can’t wait to get all the deets._

 

**iMessage**

**To: Jane Sloan and Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**10:21 AM EST**

_Thx, guys. I feel really good about this one._

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady and Kat Edison**

**From: Jane Sloan**

**10:21 AM EST**

_You totally should. You kissed a girl and you liked it!_  
****

 

**iMessage**

**To: Jane Sloan and Kat Edison**

**From: Sutton Brady**

**10:22 AM EST**

_lol I did :)_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady and Jane Sloan**

**From: Kat Edison**

**10:23 AM EST**

_Welcome to the club, babe_

 

**iMessage**

**To: Sutton Brady and Jane Sloan**

**From: Kat Edison**

**10:23 AM EST**

_(We’ve been waiting for you <3)_


End file.
